Keene Building Products moving to new location, expanding manufacturing space

Keene Building Products has purchased 11 acres in Euclid from MNR Corp. for about $1.1 million, owner James R. Keene said in an email provided by a media representative. The purchase includes 11 buildings, some of which are being rented out to tenants. There is a 12th building on the property that was not included in the purchase, said marketing manager Melanie Debelak.

The company makes “building envelope” and noise control products.

Keene's current plant, at 23555 Euclid Ave. in Euclid, has 15,000 square feet; the new plant, at 23700 St. Clair Ave. in Euclid, has 43,000 square feet. There is a total of about 115,000 square feet of space spread across the 11 buildings, which will be used for research and development, as well as rental properties. Keene's headquarters will stay in Mayfield Heights.

Debelak said the move would take about 18 months. Keene is moving two existing production lines to the new site, as well as building a third. In his email, Keene said the company plans to expand to five production lines in the next three to five years. The expansion would create the need for about 10 jobs this year and an additional 30 in the next five years.

Keene has grown to 50 employees since it was created in 2002. That number includes employees at Dependable LLC, a floor product maker with a plant in Rocky River, and Cansto Coatings, a specialty coatings maker with a plant in Cleveland, both of which Keene Building owns.

Debelak said those plants will remain open, but the new space will serve as the site for new developments for all the companies. In the future, Dependable's plant might move to the new Euclid location, Debelak said.